Do you love traveling but hate carrying luggage? There might be a new product that is just right for you. Unbound Merino is a line of travel clothes (t-shirts, hoodies, underwear, and socks) that can be worn for days, even weeks without washing.

Sound far-fetched? Apparently, the merino wool apparel claimed to repel odor and sweat is very popular among Silicon Valley professionals.

1. What external factors created opportunities for the development of this clothing line? Do you foresee external threats in the near future?

Guidance: Review the external factors typically involved in a SWOT analysis. A strong economy (the clothes are rather pricey), existing technology in product components and processes, a lack of competition in everyday merino wool clothing, and growth in international travel created opportunities for Unbound Merino’s business.

If you think Italian luxury clothes are hand sewn by skilled workers, you are right. If you think their craftsmanship is well compensated, think again.

This New York Times investigation paints a bleak description of the working conditions of Italians working for MaxMara, Fendi, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Most luxury brands outsource a major portion of their manufacturing. Several factors including intense competition from abroad result in the exploitation of labor, and the multi-tiered supply chain hinders transparency.

1. What are the reasons for the “sweatshop wages” given to the Italian seamstresses making the luxury garments at home?

Guidance: Reasons include high unemployment in the region, intensive competition from Asian and Eastern European labor, contractors’ questionable ethics, luxury brands claiming ignorance about a well- known problem, “cut-throat” negotiating practices in procurement, and no government-set Continue reading →

The Chinese government recently banned imports of low-grade recyclables.

For decades, Western countries sent their paper waste and plastic trash to China where they were sorted manually before being processed and re-used in manufacturing. To overcome the severe shortage of recyclables caused by the ban, Chinese manufacturers are now setting up processing facilities in the US and sending the recyclable materials to China.

Some existing US recycling programs have struggled to meet the purity standards imposed by the Chinese government.

1. According to the article, why has the Chinese government banned imports of “dirty” trash?

Guidance: Trash sent to China contained contaminants which can be hazardous (e.g. lead and mercury) and also hinder the recycling process. Other reasons include China’s anti-pollution crackdown and the 2017 release of the documentary “Plastic China,” which featured Chinese children sorting trash in piles of garbage imported from other countries. The documentary put pressure on China to stop such practices and therefore Continue reading →